This Post Is Intended To Make You Jealous.

I the spirit of "It's February and we're tired of the cold and today it's raining which makes it even more gloomy" I thought I'd share with you my weekend plans.

I'm going to the beach, y'all.

Cue: groaning and gnashing of teeth from all my bloggy peeps.

My neighbor, Michelle, has one of those "Husbands Who Hunt." He spends every single weekend from October - February at a quaint little hunting lodge with several other guys who love killing Bambi's mother. They leave on Friday and come home late Saturday night or Sunday. Every. Week.

So due to the blessed event called "Hunting Season is Over" she has invited a few friends down to their beach house for some much needed (and deserved) girl time.

So our men are holding down the fort at home while we head to the beach for 3 glorious days.

And let me add. There will be a Spa day involved. There will also be plenty of chocolate and girly movie watching and I'm sure some partaking of some fine Chardonnay. We are also very close to a FAB outlet mall. Can I get an Amen?

The hunting? I don't get it.

Girls weekend at the beach? I SO get it.

Can You Help A Sista Out?

Ok, peeps. I need your help.

Since the good ole economy is camping out in the toilet lately therefore forcing Spencer and I to be more frugal with the dollar, I am looking for some good, cheap, crock pot dinner recipes.

And I mean ANY recipe. Because my entire crock pot repertoire consists of 2 things. Queso and my mother-in-law's pot roast.

I'm not saying anything is wrong with that, but it definitely leaves me hanging for the other 5 days in the week....

Not to mention that I have a serious case of "oh my goodness it's 5:30 and I haven't even thought about dinner" itis. I think the occasional crock pot dinner will help with my planning ahead skillz.

I do subscribe to a website called E-Mealz. I have a button in my side bar that will take you there. It's really cool. They plan weekly menus for you and give you an itemized grocery list to the grocery store of your choosing. They also include ingredients that are on sale that week at your grocery store. And it's only 5 bucks a month. I don't like everything they plan on my weekly menus, but I have found some really good recipes that are easy to make. Anything that makes mealtime easier definitely gets my stamp of approval. You can go to their site and see an example menu. Click on that button and mosey on over there.

So be a sweetheart and please comment back with any crock pot recipes that your family likes.

Much obliged.

We Have A Date

I've been blogging now for over a year. The world of Bloggyville is an interesting community - full of joys, sorrows, amazing new friendships, and a glimpse into total strangers' lives. Before I was a blogger, I lived my happy little life in my happy little house with my happy little family. Recently, as my blog is growing a little bit and as I'm meeting new people online (especially through Twitter), I am hearing more and more stories about parents who have sick kids. These stories are heart wrenching, inspiring, and leave me in awe of the people who are living them. Some kids have been sick and have gotten well, like Harper. Some kids have been sick and are now with The Father in heaven, like Audrey Caroline and Cora. Some kids are still fighting. A lot of kids are still fighting.

One thing that I've noticed that seems to be a common denominator amongst these families is their faith. They have a trust in Jesus that exceeds comprehension in a lot of ways. Their babies are fighting for, and sometimes losing, their lives.

And I can't help but think of my 3 year old daughter, Tait. Tait has Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome, which I blogged about here. Because BWS puts her at an increased risk for certain abdominal cancers, she is tested for these cancers every 3 months. I take my little girl to a hospital where they draw her blood and do an abdominal ultrasound on her. They check levels and look for masses.

And it scares me to death every single time we go. Because having your baby tested for cancer is hard. HARD.

And the more we go through this, the more I am reminded of something Beth Moore talks about a lot. Fear. She says that when the enemy finds out what your fear is, he will threaten you with it. My fear is that something will happen to Spencer or one of the girls. That fear has been heightened lately and I'm not sure why. Seriously, is there a mom who doesn't fear that something bad will happen to their family? I have to make a choice to trust HIM for her safety. I know that my God is good and that He is faithful. He has carried people through having a sick child and has carried people through the loss of a child. He will carry us through her tests.

Even though I say that and honestly believe it in my heart, the fear of the possibility that one of those tests could come back bad is sometimes overwhelming. Trusting Him even with the very life of your child isn't easy. As a mom, I want to know with all certainty that she will live till she's 100. I pray every single morning for a faith and a trust that I see in Cora's parents. And Audrey's parents. And Harper's parents.

Then I received an email this week from the nurse that schedules Tait's testing. Because she will be 4 in July, she only has to have her blood work done one more time. May 4, 2009. This date marks a milestone in a BWS kid's life.

I saw this date as a sign from above. I felt like God was reassuring me that He is in control. He knows her name. He loves her. He has her in the palm of His hand. He wants me to trust Him that either she will be okay, or that I will be okay with whatever we are given. It's a sobering thought but it really puts Faith to the test.

Harpers parents, Cora's parents, and Audrey's parents were tested. And their God proved faithful. He is faithful. He is just. He is worthy of all glory and honor. Read their blogs and know their stories. They have made my faith stronger. Their children have shown the face of God to the world. They did their jobs well.

We Don't Need No Stinkin Roses

Having 3 small children has put a small damper on Spencer and my Valentine plans. It seems that we always have babysitters who are cute and precious, which means they generally have BOYFRIENDS and don't want to spend their Valentine's Day at my house watching my kids while Spencer and I go out. And since it's illegal for them to stay home alone (just kidding, mom, I would never leave them home alone), we usually plan our Valentine festivities after they have gone to bed. Which means we cook and eat dinner after 8:30 PM. Romantic, I know. Plus, neither of us are all about the elaborate meals out at fancy restaurants while fighting the ridiculous crowds who have made reservations weeks in advance and spending what should be an illegal amount of money on flowers that will be 1/10 the price in two days. I mean, in case you haven't noticed, the economy is in a sad place right now which is negatively affecting my bank account and I would like for that to stop ASAP. Thankyouverymuch.

But you know what?

I wouldn't change it. I love spending time at home with my man. I love my girls and I love how they love their daddy. When I watch him get all smitten with them, I absolutely fall apart. Amanda, you are in for a FUN ride with your new little girl. There's just something about daddies and their little girls.

So, tonight, we are making a steak dinner at home. We are eating it on a candlelit table and drinking sparkling grape juice from plastic champagne flutes. All of us. I pray every day for my daughters' future husbands. I also want to show them what to look for when the time comes for them to start dating (in about 45 years...right, honey?). What better blueprint for them to follow than their own Daddy? And since his heart seeks The Father daily, they are in really good hands.

And he's my Valentine. And I love him to stinkin death.

I Apologize For All The Randomness

I've been a little incognito for the past few days.

Let's just say it's been a WEEKEND.

But I'm back and just have a few things to go over.

First, let's give a Praise to the dear Lord above. CAMILLE MADE IT THROUGH AN ENTIRE SERVICE IN THE NURSERY! I was so shocked at the end of the service that we hadn't been called out that I'm pretty sure I didn't hear much of what was said.
Wait, actually that's not 100% true. What I should've said was WE DIDN'T GET CALLED OUT OF CHURCH AT ALL SUNDAY! Because she did get a little upset so the Children's Minister (GOD BLESS HER BONES) took her for a walk and distracted her till the end of the service. But the result was the same. We got to stay in church. That's the first time in over a year that Spencer and I have sat through an entire service together. SUCH a blessing. My friend, Fran sent me a Twitter message that said "Well, my goodness....I just stood right here in my kitchen and gave God a handclap!!!" That pretty much sums up how we were feeling after church.

Second, Have you noticed that most of my posts as of late have been in list form? Have I ever mentioned that I'm a compulsive list maker? You should see the lists I make when I'm packing to go out of town. They should be published. My dad is nodding his head right now as he reads this. I have an app on my iPhone that's called Zenbe Lists. You make a list and it allows you to put a little check beside it when it's completed and it moves to the bottom of the list. I cannot even tell you how happy this app makes me.

Third, I want to like American Idol right now, but I just can't. I don't like it usually until Hollywood Week is over. Probably because of ALL THE DRAMA. Let's just say right now that TATIANA MUST GO. Amen.

Fourth, Today Tait got to take her Valentines to school to pass out to her classmates. They have little bags hanging in the room and she gets to put her Valentines in each child's bag. SHE IS SO EXCITED! As a former teacher, I can testify that Valentine's Day is more fun than Christmas to the kids. It was the one party that I didn't allow parents to come to. I tried to keep it low key because we were always in the middle of SAT practice. Valentine's Day can get waaaayyyy out of hand. It was fun to see the excitement in my 3-year-old even though she really doesn't understand what Valentine's Day is. Mary Emma gets to take hers to school Friday and I get to go to her party where the theme is "I Love Reading." They get to wear their pj's to school - which opens up a whole new issue as we have to find the cutest, coolest pj's ever. I'm hoping the Hannah Montana ones that she got for Christmas will do.

Fifth, I've just discovered Tweetdeck. I can thank Gayle for originally telling me about it - but at the time, my computer wouldn't load the program. Last night it worked and my Twitter life will never be the same again. Just what I need, more time to play on the computer.

Sixth, Spencer and I have been on a 2 year long struggle with what church to go to. We are members of a church that we love, but due to nursery/Camille issues, we haven't been able to really get involved. I a church with 4000 members, getting involved is crucial. Plus the pastor's teaching style is right up my alley, but not so much Spencer's. He BRINGS IT every Sunday. He's brilliant and very deep. So we started visiting another church. It's also fantastic, HUGE (it has its own Starbucks in the lobby), and due to Camille/nursery issues, we haven't been able to get very involved there, either. This pastor, however, focuses his sermons towards unbelievers. He is entertaining and funny and very easy to listen to. His sermons, however, don't challenge you or lead to any real spiritual growth. His "deep" sermons are on Wednesday nights and I've heard they're incredible, but again, back to the Camille/nursery dilemma. So some friends (thanks Grant/Christy & Chris/Brooke) invited us to another church. This church is much smaller (about 700 members) and relatively new. The pastor started the church with 8 members meeting in a classroom at an elementary school. 3 years later, they are growing out of their brand new building. The pastor is an amazing Precept Bible teacher and due to the smaller size, please refer to point #1 above. We are excited about getting involved and are so grateful that the Lord has led us here. It's a perfect match for Spencer AND me. The kids love it. And God is working in that place in ways that I want to stick around and be involved with. It's gonna be fun to watch.

Ok, me and my Zenbe list are heading to Target. My iron BIT THE DUST yesterday. I actually witnessed the death of an iron, complete with funny noises, sputtering, smoke, then poof - it was gone. My mom, who is OCD when it comes to ironing, will be pleased to know that I'm getting a new iron.

Here's a new-ish pic of the girls. I have no real reason for posting it except I feel that it is an ACCOMPLISHMENT to get them all smiling at the camera at the same time. So enjoy!

Update....

I'm headed out today for the visitation and the funeral. Please say an extra prayer for my Aunt Betty and Uncle Larry as well as Michelle's husband, Sam. Today at 4:00 will be the first time they will see Michelle. I can't imagine.

People shouldn't have to bury their children. Lord, have mercy.

Need Your Prayers

Hey, my bloggy friends.

My family had an unexpected tragedy last night. My cousin, Michelle, who is 30 years old, passed away. We don't know what happened. She had been sick with the same upper respiratory junk that everyone seems to have. She was at a friend's house and laid down to take a nap. Later when the friend went to wake her up, she was gone. Understandably, her parents, Betty & Larry, (my aunt & uncle) are devastated. Betty is my dad's older sister. Also, she was married to Sam, who is also devastated. We are all in shock.

Please keep my family in your prayers. Especially Betty, Larry, Sam, and Michelle's brother, Daniel. We don't know any funeral arrangements yet, but I also ask for your prayers, as we will all be traveling to Atlanta for the funeral.

Thanks and please know how much I love and appreciate all of you.